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Re: San Francisco - Mass Transit only, where to go?

Vegas is faux capital of everything. Tacky, tacky, tacky, which some people find photogenic, especially at night. Good food cheap if you ask around. Otherwise, a
lot of stinky cigarette smoke and neurotic blue-haired old women hypnotized by slot machines. Best bang for the buck in terms of time just outside of Vegas would probably be Valley of Fire. If you shoot color film have a warming filter for those deep blue shadows. And color there will be. Hoover dam nearby too, and like I already mentioned, Red Rocks Park just north of town, where city abuts the cliffs. In other words, plenty of landscape photo opportunities. Carry water of course. I don't know if any of their snattlerakes are still active in winter; but as always, just note where your hands and feet go amidst the rocks. I always got pissed off when I got sent on a business trip to Vegas and wasn't allowed an extra day or two off to rent a jeep. Since then, I've always sent someone else there.
Other than the food, I hate that city itself. Vegas is of course at the bottom tip of Nevada, so driving there is not like crossing the great stretches of basin and
range sage at the width of the state, which can be boring, or utterly beautiful with clouds and snow around. That 67 will come in handy for quick road shots.

Re: San Francisco - Mass Transit only, where to go?

Originally Posted by Corran

Never been to Nevada, much less Vegas, so should be fun. Had to nix LF due to space and other constraints so my backup is just the Pentax 67 and a few lenses. I'll get by . Sucks that 80% of the gear I have room for is digital stuff for work.

Going to be playing it by ear mostly as right now looks like I'll be driving a lot between 3 states. Definitely some good general suggestions though in the thread for anyone looking at a SF trip!

Don't forget, Death Valley isn't that far from Vegas and you have to eat at the Mad Greek restaurant. Also, in Vegas, the Peppermill is a reasonably priced strip restaurant with good food and generous portions.

Re: San Francisco - Mass Transit only, where to go?

I hope to spend a lot more time exploring country south of Fallon. I tend to camp up around Sonora Pass the first night heading east to backpacking trips beyond,
in order to get a bit of altitude adjustment, then pick various tortuous routes across Nevada to my final destination, which recently was in Nevada itself, a lovely
week backpacking and LF photographing the Ruby Mtns. Nevada is really different. It's gorgeous from the air, but also has a certain quality of light and soft color
that would no doubt drive a calendar photographer insane, but that appeals very much to those who prefer compositions with a lot of subtle greiges and earthtones. There are sufficient accents of yellow and green in that part of Nevada too. Plus a lot of rednecky rusty clutter and mining paraphenalia that tends be quite photogenic in its own right, if someone doesn't get suspicious and shoot at you first! Hope to fix my truck AC this coming month, which should distinctly help on those long summer drives thru the sage. And eager to print some of last year's 4x5 color negs from the area.

Re: San Francisco - Mass Transit only, where to go?

Again I want to thank everyone who commented and suggested things.

Can't go into much detail (I was doing work as a military subcontractor) but my job just got cancelled. Getting a 60% break of contract fee at least but whatever. I would love to still fly out there and just do whatever but it's just too late now and not going to work. Not to make this my personal blog but yeah, you won't be seeing any film photos from Vegas .

Re: San Francisco - Mass Transit only, where to go?

Well I think every landscape photographer, especially LF, feels the pull of the west! I was just not able to do it financially and time-wise as a student and then busy university employee. Since changing fields to full-time business owner / subcontractor though I have many more opportunities to travel, and do some stuff on the side, hopefully more and more as I work on new contracts.